EP0855735A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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A high temperature, high flow rate chemical vapor deposition apparatus and related methods
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1998-01-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2018-01-26
Abstract
Abstract The disclosure relates to an apparatus for depositing titanium films at rates up to 200 Å/minute on semiconductor substrates from a titanium tetrachloride source in a reactor chamber (30). In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a ceramic heater assembly (33) with an integrated RF plane (103) for bottom powered RF capability allows PECVD deposition at a temperature of at least 40°C for more efficient plasma treatment. A thermal choke (123) isolates the heater from its support shaft (121) reducing the thermal gradient across the heater to reduce the risk of breakage and improving temperature uniformity of the heater.
Inventors
- 👤 Jun Zhao
- 👤 Lee Luo
- 👤 Xiao Jin Liang
- 👤 Jia-Xiang Wang
- 👤 Talex Sajoto
- 👤 Stefan Wolff
- 👤 Leonid Selyutin
- 👤 Ashok Sinha
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 08:36
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/50; C23C16/513; H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/32; H01J37/32431; H01J37/3244; C23C16/4401; C23C16/4412; C23C16/458; C23C16/4582; C23C16/4583; C23C16/4586; C23C16/52; H01J37/32009; H01J37/32082; H01J2237/00; H01J2237/20; H01J2237/2001; H01J2237/32; H01J2237/33; H01J2237/332; H01J2237/3321
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a chamber, having a chamber volume; a gas delivery system comprising a plurality of gas sources, said gas
sources supplying a source gas comprised of a metal and halogen, said gas delivery
system introducing said source gas at a flow rate for use in said chamber; a heater pedestal having a surface for supporting a substrate, said heater
pedestal comprising a heater assembly capable of resistively heating to a temperature of
at least 400°C in an environment of halogenated plasma species; and a plasma system comprising a plasma system comprising an RF generator
and an RF plane, said RF plane being disposed in said heater pedestal below said surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said RF plane is disposed less
than about 200 mil below said surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said RF plane is disposed less
than about 50 mil below said surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
11 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said RF plane comprises
molybdenum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said RF plane has an area
extending substantially under said surface where said substrate is to be supported.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said source gas comprises a
metallic halide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said source gas comprises
titanium tetrachloride.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said heater assembly comprises
ceramic .
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said heater assembly comprises
aluminum nitride or Al 2 O 3 .
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said heater pedestal further
comprises a thermal choke disposed between said heater assembly and a metal support
shaft.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a plug disposed in
said support shaft, said plug being a substantially solid material having through-holes
providing vias for running electrical wires through or delivering gas to said support shaft,
wherein said plug displaces an interior volume of said support shaft thereby reducing risk
of RF arcing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said plug comprises an upper
fused silicon plug, said upper fused silica plug providing thermal isolation between said
heater assembly and said metal support shaft.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
107 words
The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising: at least one lower plug comprised of ceramic, said lower plug
providing DC blocking effects between said electrical wires, said lower plug aligned and
coupled to said upper plug such that said lower plug has co-axial holes with said through-holes
of said upper plug, and a ceramic sleeve liner disposed within said co-axial holes in said lower
plug and within said through-hole in said lower plug such that said sleeve liner spans a
joint between said upper and lower plugs, said ceramic sleeve liner thereby minimizing
gas transfer between said chamber and said electrical wires or gas within said through-holes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said lower plug extends through
substantially the entire length of said support shaft.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein a filler material of high
electrical resistivity is disposed in said support shaft with ceramic sleeve liners disposed
through said filler material for running electrical wires or delivering purge gas.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a vacuum system
coupled to said chamber, said vacuum system capable of controlling exhaust out of said
chamber, said chamber maintained at a pressure of less than about 10 torr by controlling
said gas delivery system to control said flow rate at greater than twice said chamber
volume per minute.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising an electrical wire
coupled to an electrode of said heater pedestal, said electrical wire being coiled to
provide stress relief when said heater pedestal is heated or when said apparatus is
assembled or disassembled.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a radiation heat shield
disposed at least under said heater assembly, said radiation heat shield made of fused
silica.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said radiation heat shield further
comprises an edge disposed along sides of said heater assembly.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said heater assembly is capable of
heating said temperature of up to about 625°C.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said halogenated plasma species
comprises a chlorinated species.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said heater pedestal has a short
flanged stub.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
148 words
The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said heater assembly includes a
bottom support having a first thermal resistivity, and said thermal choke comprising: a web including a first portion contacting at least part of said bottom support, a second portion contacting at least part of said metal support shaft, and a third portion disposed between said first portion and said second
portion, said third portion being substantially perpendicular to said first and second
portions to separate said bottom support from said metal support shaft; and wherein said web has a second thermal resistivity greater than said first
thermal resistivity, and wherein said first portion has a first diameter substantially
corresponding to said bottom support, said second portion has a second diameter
substantially corresponding to that of said metal support shaft, and said third portion of
said web having a third diameter smaller than said first and second diameters.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said bottom support of said
heater assembly is comprised of ceramic and said metal support shaft is comprised of
aluminum, and wherein said thermal choke is comprised of a chromium-containing or
nickel-containing metal and wherein said web has an effective length ranging between
about 0.6-1.0 inch for a web thickness ranging between about 20-100 mil, and a web
height of between about 200-240 mil.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said thermal choke further
comprising a lower rim, coupled to said second portion of said web, said lower rim
comprising a plurality of holes for bolting or screwing said choke to said metal support
shaft.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
179 words
A thermally choked coupler for connecting a ceramic heater with a
flanged stub to a metal support shaft, said thermally choked coupler comprising: a lower portion having a first pocket, said first pocket for engaging said
metal support shaft; an upper portion having a second pocket, said second pocket for engaging
said flanged stub, said second pocket comprised of tensioning arms for securing said
flanged stub, said tensioning arms having ends that include holes through which a
connector may be disposed, said tensioning arms capable of applying a hoop tension
around said flanged stub over a selected temperature range; a web of metal coupled between said upper portion and said lower portion,
said web partially separated from said tensioning arms by a slot; an upper clamp with a cantilevered washer capable of applying a
compressive force to said flanged stub over said selected temperature range, said upper
clamp capable of securing said flanged stub to said upper portion, wherein said tensioning arms and said cantilevered washer include at least
one strain relief slot to avoid cracking said flanged stub.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
The thermally choked coupler of claim 26 wherein said metal
support shaft is integrated with said lower portion as a single unit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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